Tinted Glass
by Kojho
Summary: After the gutwrenching suspense of the Orre finals, Ash finally furfills his dream, and becomes Pokemon Champion. The gang goes their seperate ways, and May meets a strange boy on a quest for love, fame, and a better guitar.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

" Okay, Pikachu, finish it off with Volt Tackle! Give it 110!"

"Sceptile, you know what to do, Double Leaf Blade!"'

"Pikaaaa!"

Pikachu started charging towards it's opponent, supercharging itself as it went.

"Sceptiiiii!" Sceptile reverted its arms into giant green, razor-sharp blades, as it plowed towards it's opponent.

"Chuuuuu!"

"IIIllleee!"

The battlers met in a great explosion as their ultimate attacks clashed head-on. Then, as the smoke cleared, the crowd of millions fell silent as all of Orre awaited the outcome of the Pokemon Championships.

Sceptile groaned as it pitched over backwards, fainted with the exhaustion of its hour long battle.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! The winner of the match is Pikachu! Thus, the title of Pokemon Master and head of the Elite Four is now awarded to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" the announcer roared, and the crowd went wild.

Ash stood there, dumbfounded. His brain was frozen. He did it? He really did it!

"Ash, I'm so proud of you!" Ash turned to be drawn into a passionate kiss laid upon him by his girlfriend, Misty Waterflower. "I can't believe you finally accomplished your dream, after all these years!"

"Yeah, champ, you did a great job!"

"Thanks, Brocko, you guys are the best!" Ash exclaimed, still bewildered that it was over. He, a 16-yearold from Pallet Town, Pokemon Master?

"Hey Ash, you did a great job, we're all proud of you!" May cried as she was running across the field. "But now I have to go consulate the runner-up!" May ran across the battle ring, trying to catch up to her brother. "Max, wait! I need to talk to you"

"Leave me alone May!"

"No, you're acting like a child" 

"I am not!" came the response.

"So then come out here and unlock the door!"

The locker room door creaked open to reveal the tear-stained face of max Birch, 12 year-old runner up of the Orre Pokemon League.

"Max, you can't take this to hard, Ash is your friend. Remember, he lost the last 3 leagues to finally get to here. You won't deny him his happiness, would you?" May cooed. Sometimes her little brother still acted like the pest he was 3 years ago in Hoenn.

"I suppose not… No, I won't!" He shouted defiantly as the door was flung open. "I'm gonna go out there and congratulate him on a great battle! Thanks May, you're the best!" Max shouted over his shoulder as he ran down the hall.

"And don't you forget it!" She shouted after him. As she watched him go off, the 13 year-old girl reminisced on his many changes over the last three years. "Well, at least he lost the glasses!" She giggled to herself. After the Battle frontier in Kanto, Ash decided to give the League one more shot. It just so happened that Max had come of age as Ash set out, so he grabbed a Treeko from the Professor and set out on the 2-year journey through Orre.

"Ah well" sighed May. "At least we can leave this wasteland."

Later that night, at the Pokemon center…

"Well guys, tomorrow, I am off to Johto." said Max.

"I'm coming to, don't forget" Brock cut in. "The national breeder convention is there in a few months."

"And I'm off to the Indigo Plateau, that's where I will live and battle till next years league" Ash said.  
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I am also now the head of the gym leaders Association, which protects the country from schemes like Team Aqua's and Magma's" he added.

There was a silence as that all sunk in. They contemplated on how they were all going to be separated soon, torn over duty and friendship.

Then Brock realized something. 

"Hey, May, where are you going after this is finished?" he inquired of the girl." You could come with us to Johto."

"Oh, I don't know, I guess I'll head back to Vermillion City to shop before I head for the next region with that has contests." "Maybe I'll just wing it…"

"You know May" Misty spoke up. "I'll be going on your ferry tomorrow too, so maybe we'll finally find you a boyfriend."

"Yeah, sure…" May said sullenly.

The rest of the gang sweat-dropped at May's lack of enthusiasm.

"May, you know there are more important things than Contests. I thought you learned that after you left Drew to come to Orre. The poor gut was broken hearted." Max said.

"Yeah, but I was too young then, I was 10 years old." May shot back.

"Well, I still think it was a mistake." Max muttered.

"Well, we better get to bed, the ferry leaves early tomorrow." Ash said, breaking the silence.

" Yeah, good idea." The others agreed.

Ash and Misty left for their room, as May and Max did too. Poor Brock bunked on the couch.

And with that, the darkness of night brought sleep to the four teens.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Beep, beep, beep, BEEP, BEEP, B-

"Shut up, you stupid alarm clock!" May slammed her fist on the offending machine, shutting it up.

Thud. "F! Ow!" May groaned as she rolled out of bed and hit the floor.

"Could ya keep it down!" Misty shouted over the roar of the shower.

"Yeah, yeah." May grumbled as she struggled to get dressed.

The shower door opened, and Misty walked out, wrapped in a towel.

"All clear." she said.

May growled in frustration as she had just finished getting dressed.

Since 2 teenage girls, left undisturbed, can sleep the day away, putting it mildly, so May walked out of the cabin of the ferry to be greeted by the beginnings of a beautiful sunset.

"Geez, we must have been exhausted from the League." May thought to her self.

Then her stomach grumbled, betraying her to an elderly couple walking by who stared at her queerly.

"Heh, heh, just a little hungry, that's all… old geezers" she muttered under her breath as the moved out of earshot.

"Well, we might as well get to the cafeteria, seeing as dinner is being served now." Misty stated as she walked up behind May.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute, you go…" May dismissed Misty with a wave of her hand.

"Okay then…" Misty said a bit reluctantly as she wandered off.

May stood up from where she was sitting in the deck chair, and started to wander towards the pool. As she was approaching the deck, she spotted a figure leaning against the deck rail.

"Do I know him?" she inquired of herself. Upon closer examination, it was no one she knew, but he certainly wasn't bad to look at, she noted. His soft white hair, supported by a headband, was blowing softly in the breeze. He was wearing Hoenn pride clothing, the latest emerald variation, much like her own. "Well, at least he has a fashion sense" she chuckled to herself.

May decided to go over and introduce herself, so she ambled over to the rail and leaned next to him. "Watcha look'n at?" she inquired.

"Huh what? Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there. No, I was just thinking. Anyways, I'm Brendan, who are you? You're from Hoenn, I presume?"

"I'm May from Petalburg city, nice to meet you. Where are you headed?" she asked, as he turned his gaze toward her.

"Oh, I'm going to the Sevii islands on tour, once I get to Vermilion city where the rest of my band is." Brendan said, looking at his companion for the first time.

"She's pretty hot… Whoa! What am I thinking, I don't even know her! Stupid Brendan."

"You're in a band! That's awesome! I love rock! What do you guys play?" May asked excitedly.

"We play a lot of punk rock, but we're not that good. We won a chance to perform in the Sevii Tour." Brendan said absentmindedly.

He stared at the sunset, admiring its beauty. All the colors mixed together, like an artists canvas. "Well, I'm glad I am not an artist. Didn't one cut off his ear or something? I need me ears. I like hearing. Hearing is fun. Hear- Shut it, Brendan!" he yelled at himself. "Wait, why is she staring at me?"

"Oh, that's cool…" May said as she feel into a trance, staring at this guy Brendan. "Now, I wouldn't mind having him as a boyfriend. I guess Misty would approve…" May blushed as she realized Brendan had just asked her something.

"What?" May asked "Sorry, I lost focus, it happens, heh, heh" "Great, now I'm blushing even more…"

" I said, are you okay? You seemed to be spaced out."

"Oh, no, I'm fine" May managed to choke out.

"How right you are…" Brendan thought as he admired her good looks.

"Hey, May, if your not busy, would you like to come meet my band when we get to Vermillion?" he asked. "Please?" he thought.

"Really? Sure, I'd love to!"

As she said this, Brendan's eyes flashed with electricity, happiness rushing through him.

"Well, okay then, I'll see you tomorrow at Vermillion's Pokemon Center." Brendan said, barley able to contain himself. (Remember, we are dealing with over eager teens, here)

"Tomorrow, then." May said as she walked away. "See ya" she winked at him as she left.

"Definitely" Brendan thought to himself. "Tomorrow." he breathed.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Simple Plan, or even a car for that matter. Stop making me feel bad. Authors Note: Well, this is the first chapter I _have _an authors note, and with it I would like to thank you in advance all those who review my humble fic. Of the many band fics out there, I hope this near the top of the list. Enjoy chapter 3, the best so far! 

Chapter 3 

"Attention all passengers, we have arrived in Vermillion City. Please collect your luggage from your cabin and prepare to depart. Thank you for riding Seaking Cruiselines."

Misty put down her fork and pushed her plate away.

"Well, May, it looks like that's our cue. Lets go get our stuff. Then we can head to Cerulean," the red head said as she was getting up. "I told Ash I'd call when we got there."

May pushed in her chair and she started to walk with Misty

"Actually Misty," May responded, "I was thinking of staying here in Vermillion. I said I'd meet a friend at the Pokemon Center here."

"Really? You mean you finally hooked up with someone?" Misty turned to ask.

"Not really," May returned, "he's just a friend. I met him last night."

"Hmmm…well, okay then, be careful." Misty said as they reached their cabin. "I'll be in Cerulean if you need me. Don't forget to call!" She turned and shut the door as she left.

"Bye!" May watched her friend go. Now what to do. It was still rather early to go to the Pokemon Center. "Maybe I'll go shopping…" she said to herself.

Later, in Vermillion's downtown, May entered a clothing boutique. As she was wandering the isles, she noticed a particularly nice skirt. As she headed to the dressing room to try it on, the wooden door opened to reveal a girl with blue pigtails and had a Jigglypuff perched on her shoulder. She was just putting away her pokegear, and wasn't looking where she was going. As May headed towards the door, still absorbed in the skirt, they bumped into each other.

"Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." May said.

"That's okay, it was my fault. Jigglypuff, why didn't you warn me?"

"Jiggly!" the pink blob said happily.

" Arrgh! Oh, well, she's hopeless. Anyway, my name's Marina. What's yours?" the girl said.

"I'm May. Nice to meet you. You Jigglypuff is really cute." May said as she patted it's head.

"Thanks, but my boyfriend thinks it is the most annoying thing on Earth. I do too, sometimes, heh heh… Hey, I like your clothes. Are you from Hoenn?" Marina questioned.

"Yeah, how did you know? Have you been there? Not many people outside of Hoenn know Hoenn pride when they see it." May said, surprised.

"Oh, my friend is from Hoenn, he wears something similar. Anyway, I got to be going, I'm late for rehearsal. See ya!" Marina called over her shoulder.

"Late… Oh yeah, Brendan! I almost forgot!" May cried as she dropped the skirt and took of towards the Pokemon Center.

"1, 2, 3 and-" Brendan was cut off as he started a note on his guitar.

"I'm here! Sorry I'm late!" May pounded down the steps to the basement of the Pokemon Center.

Brendan winced as he was caught in the middle of a stroke, and the guitar made a horrible noise.

" Sorry Brendan, I meet this girl Marina and- oh…" May took in the surrounding, noticing Marina sitting on a couch, lip-locked with some guy she didn't recognize. "I didn't know she was talking about coming here." May said, more to herself than Brendan.

"How do you know Marina?" Brendan asked, puzzled. Now more in control of himself, Brendan had been able to put his first-sight attraction to May in the back of his mind. He had decided that he was jumping to conclusions, and he barley knew her. So he resigned to treat her as just a friend for now.

"Anyway May, we never set a time, so how could you be late?" Brendan grinned.

"Oh, yeah, heh heh, sorry." May blushed as she finished walking down the steps. "We meet at a clothing store, and that's why I got sidetracked."

Brendan noticed she was still looking across the room. "Who's that with Marina?" May inquired.

"What? Oh, that's Kenta, he's in our ban- Will you two get a room already?" Brendan yelled at the couple.

"Shut up B-man, you know you're just jealous." Kenta managed to unwrap himself from Marina and stood up. He had raven black hair, with most of it hidden by a cap. May noticed he had that Johto look that she had seen in one of her magazines.

"Hi May, I'm Kenta." Kenta walked over to introduce himself. "Brendan talked about you all night long when he got back.

"I did not!" Brendan said, turning red. "All I said was that we had a visitor coming tomorrow!"

"Sure…" Kenta smirked. Anyway-"

"So dude, are we gonna rock or what?" A voice from behind the drum set made it's self heard.

May turned to find a red-haired teen rising from behind the drums. He was modest in look, and had a sort of quietness about him.

"Yeah Silver, one sec." Brendan said over his shoulder. "Come on Kenta, we got to practice for the tour."

The three guys walked over to their instruments, and Silver sat down behind the drums. Brendan and Kenta slung their guitars over their shoulders and set the mikes. May joined Marina on the couch to watch.

"Okay then, May, our band is going on a tour in the Sevii islands starting tomorrow, so we gotta practice. You can stay and watch if you like." Brendan said from the platform.

"Wait, before you start playing, what's the band's name?" May asked.

"We're called Tinted Glass." Silver said sharply. "Can we play now?" Silver looked at Brendan.

"Yeah, just let me fix this mike." Brendan said as he fiddled with the stubborn piece of equipment.

As he was doing this, May leaned towards Marina and asked, "What's up with Silver? How come he's so grumpy?"

"Oh, he had a rough childhood. The only thing that cheers him up is his music and Blue." Marina whispered back.

"Who's Blue?" May asked, curious. But the answer was cut short by a furious guitar solo from Brendan. She soon forgot the whole conversation as she listened to the band play.

(_Promise_-Simple Plan)

Break down  
I can't take this  
I need somewhere to go  
I need you  
I'm so restless  
I don't know what to do

Cause we've had our rough times  
With fighting all night  
And now you're just slipping away

So give me this chance  
To make the wrongs right, to say:  
Don't, don't, don't walk away

I promise  
I won't let you down, you down  
If you take my hand tonight  
I promise  
We'll be just fine, this time  
If you take my hand tonight

If you take my hand tonight

Without you I go through the motions  
Without you it's just not quite the same  
Without you I don't want to go out  
I just wanted to say

That I'm sick of these fights  
I'll let you be right  
If it stops you from running away

So give me this chance  
To make the wrongs right, to say  
Don't, don't, don't walk away

I promise  
I won't let you down, you down  
If you take my hand tonight  
I promise  
We'll be just fine, this time  
If you take my hand tonight

Take my hand, take my hand  
(I promise)  
Take my hand  
(I promise)  
Take my hand  
GO!

I promise,  
I won't let u down, you down  
If you take my hand tonight  
I promise  
We'll be just fine, this time  
If you take my hand tonight  
If you take my hand tonight  
I won't let you down  
So Take my hand tonight

May sat in silence, awed by the skill of the musicians. They were sweating and panting for breath after the energizing song.

"Oh my god, that was awesome!" May squealed. "Play something else!"

"But we have to-" Brendan started.

"Oh shut up, we can play." Kenta cut in. "We don't leave until tomorrow."

"Yeah, and I want May to stay, you guys need some more feminine influence around here!" Marina added.

"But-" Brendan struggled, torn between his attraction to May and his strict sense of order and practice. "Oh, fine, she can stay." He relented, blowing a strand of white hair out of his eyes.

"Sweet!" May cried. "Now I can get to know Brendan better!" she thought to herself.

So May stayed the rest of the morning to watch Tinted Glass practice. As she watched them play, she noticed Brendan start to loosen up. "He seems a lot less distracted than last night." May thought.

Later, as they were putting away their instruments, Kenta asked: "So, May, you want to come on tour with us? We could use a new band manager. B-man here is a little uptight."

Brendan whirled on Kenta, all pretense of a relaxed teen gone. "I am not uptight! You-"

"Nice of you guys to ask my opinion." Silver said as he walked up the stairs.

The argument stopped in mid-swing as all heads turned to him as he disappeared, shutting the door behind him.

"What's with-" May asked, puzzled at the boy's reaction.

"Oh, don't worry about him, he's just nervous about tomorrow." Brendan shrugged as he followed the rest of the band upstairs.

As May trudged upstairs, she wondered, "What's happening tomorrow?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Beep, beep, beep, Beep, BEEP, **BEEP, BE-!**

"Arrgh, these stupid things are everywhere!" May groaned as she slammed her fist down on the Pokemon Center's alarm clock. She sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah, they're little machines designed to wake you up on time, though I doubt that's ever happened to you…" Brendan's smug voice came from the top bunk.

"Oh shut up…" May chucked a pillow at the ceiling.

"Ooooff, hot _and _feisty, are we? Brendan groaned as he fell off the bed with a loud thud.

"Uggh." May grunted as she closed the door. But Brendan didn't notice how her face turned bright red at that last comment.

Brendan somehow managed to struggle into his clothes as he tried not to fall over from tiredness. Finally, fully dressed in his band clothes, which consisted of a black headband, a black _Role Model_ shirt, and some jeans, he called out to May that he was heading downstairs to get some breakfast. "Okay, I'll be down in a minute!" May shouted after him.

On his way down to the lobby he saw Silver, who was slowly trudging along, head hanging low, and fiddling with the zipper to his sweatshirt. "Silver! Wait up" Brendan ran to catch up with his friend. "Why the long fa- Holy that hurt" Brendan, who was still running, collided right into Kenta and Marina walking down from the other hallway.

"Whoa there Brendan, don't hurt yourself. What's the hurry?" Kenta grabbed Brendan by the sleeve and steadied him.

"Well, I was about to catch up to Silver and ask him what was wrong until you grabbed me there, lover boy." Brendan watched Silver disappear through the cafeteria doors.

"Why, what's wrong with him" Kenta asked. " Is he more bummed out than usual?"

"Oh come on," Marina spoke up. " isn't it obvious? He's nervous about seeing Blue again. Remember they were going to meet on the island when we got there?"

"Oh yeah… right… and he is sad that he's gonna see his best friend why…?" Brendan and Kenta said blankly. Marina sighed, utterly convinced that they were hopeless. "Never mind." She sighed. The three turned and headed down the hall after Silver.

As they were walking, Kenta struck p a conversation. "So, did you kids have fun yesterday?" he asked, referring to how Brendan and May spent the afternoon at the beach getting to know each other after band practice.

Brendan perked up, then started ranting excitedly "Oh yeah, it was great, we- _Will you two stop doing that_!" Brendan started to respond enthusiastically. Kenta and Marina had broken into a fit of knowing laughter. "I don't _like_ like her. I- uh- oh never mind, you guys aren't worth it." Brendan stormed off, leaving the two to finish the walk together.

"They make such a cute couple..." Marina said as she leaned her head on Kenta.

As soon as Brendan realized he was going in the completely wrong direction for food, he mentally cursed Kenta and Marina for being so irritating. So he decided to take the long way back, to have time to think about what to say to Silver. "_Man, he seems really bummed out for what should be the most exciting day of the month. Wait, is today the 1st? Maybe it is. Then it would be the only day of the month so far, wouldn't it. I do not like May, do I? No, of course not! I barley know her! Well, apart from all those hours we spent on the beach yesterday. Wait, what I'm I thinking! I just got lost again! Arggh! Ow!"_

It turned out that while Brendan was having his mental struggle, he had unintentionally walked into the door May had just opened. "Oh, Brendan, I'm sorry, are you okay?" May asked, concerned.

"Errm, yeah, I'm fine…" Brendan replied, rubbing his nose.

"Sorry, anyway, thanks for waiting for me! Lets go get breakfast now!" May said, pulling him down the hall.

"What! Wait! _Sheesh, she can be annoying_." Brendan grumbled as he tried not to lose sight of May as she disappeared around the corner.

The bustling environment of the Pokemon Center's cafeteria met Brendan head-on, forcing him to cover his ears. The roar of hundreds of trainers and their Pokemon mixed together to create an unimaginable roar. "Why are there so many people here!" Brendan shouted, hoping someone would answer. May had already gone off to find Marina.

"Duh, dude, this is Vermillion, man. The Sevii tour is about to start, and this is the closest port!" some guy with a mohawk shouted from the table Brendan was standing next to.

"What! Oh thanks!" Brendan yelled back as he walked away. "_Wow, a lot of people want to see us. Sweet!_" he thought arrogantly. "_Well, I don't blame them. We are great after all." _ While Brendan was wandering around lost in thoughts of his greatness, Silver was standing in line lost in thought.

"_Her favorite color is red. No it's blue. Wait it's Green. No, he's the guy how has a crush on her. Oh never mind! She probably won't remember me anyway. I bet she doesn't like the clothes I got her either. She probably thinks I'm queer. She's probably right. She always is. I remember that time when- _Opph! Ow, Brendan watch where your going man!" he yelled atthe clumsy guitarist.

"Oh, there you are Silver! Sorry about that. I was thinking. Anyways, I was looking for you. How come you've been acting so weird lately?"Brendan questioned.

"Oh, that? Um, I'm just nervous about seeing Blue again. You know? It's been like three _years_." Silver responded.

"Yeah, Marina told us. But wasn't she like your best friend? You should be happy to see her." Brendan said, puzzled.

"I guess, but it doesn't help that I had a crush on her. Now I don't know." Silver mumbled.

"Oh…. Hey, why are standing in the sushi line for _breakfast_?" Brendan said, just noticing where they were.

"What, Oh, I must have wandered into the wrong line! Sorry, I meant to go to the waffles line. Heh heh…" Silver laughed nervously, and blew the red hair from over his eyes.

"Oh well, no matter." Brendan said, still preoccupied himself with thoughts of May. "Hey, you want to play some more after we eat?"

"Oh sure, that sounds great! Lets practice the new one!" Silver perked up.

"You got it!" Brendan replied. "Right after I get some chow…" He finished, staring at his growling stomach. "Later!" he said over his shoulder.

"Peace!" Silver said, still thinking about the song. Ever since he and Blue split, all he could relax to was music.

"Man, this sucks…" A Silver 5 months younger kicked the buses tire, trying to give it a jumpstart. Which didn't help muck, considering the bus's engine had blown out. So he did the next best thing and spit all over the picture of the mayor of Vermillion City's face, which was painted on the side of the bus. 

"Retarded, isn't it?" A voice came from behind him. A guy with white hair and wearing bright green clothes had walked up behind him and directed this comment at Silver. "The same thing happened to my taxi last week. I guess I'm a jinx.

"_Yeah, now I guess we have to walk wherever…"Silver said glumly._

_The new guy shifted the guitar case to his other shoulder. "Anyways, my names Brendan…"_

"And here I am now… still standing in the damn sushi line!" Silver spoke to himself as he ducked below the barrier and wandered off to find some more food.

(Later, back in the Pokemon Center's basement.)

"A one, two, three and-" Brendan and the rest of the band broke out into their latest song, which Kenta had dubbed "First Date", respectively.

"First Date" blink 182

In the car, I just can't wait...  
To pick you up on our very first date  
is it cool if I hold your hand?  
Is it wrong if I think it's lame to dance?  
Do you like my stupid hair?  
Would you guess that I didn't know what to wear?  
I'm just scared of what you'll think.  
You make me nervous so I really can't eat

Lets go... don't wait... this nights almost over  
Honest... lets make... this night last forever  
Forever and ever... lets make this last forever  
Forever and ever... lets make this last forever

When you smile, I melt inside  
I'm not worthy for a minute of your time  
I really wish it was only me and you  
I'm jealous of everybody in the room  
Please don't look at me with those eyes  
Please don't hint that your capable of lies  
I dreamt the thought of our very first kiss  
A target that I'm probably gonna miss

Lets go... don't wait... this nights almost over  
Honest... lets make... this night last forever  
Forever and ever... lets make this last forever  
Forever and ever... lets make this last forever

Lets go... don't wait... this nights almost over  
Honest... lets make... this night last forever  
Forever and ever... lets make this last forever  
Forever and ever... lets make this last forever

Forever and ever... lets make this last forever  
Forever and ever... lets make this last forever

"Wow, that was AWESOME-**O**!" Marina squealed. "Awww, Kenta, did you really write that about us? That's so sweet! Marina rushed up onto the platform and threw herself at Kenta.

"CoughslutCough…" a loud disturbance was coming from Brendan's side of the room, where Silver was laughing and high-fiving him. Kenta managed to get out a glare before Marina glued herself to his face.

While Brendan and Silver were trying to suppress giggles, May came rushing down the stairs, out of breath. "Hurry up you guys, the ferry leaves in 15, you gotta pack your instruments!"

For a long moment, everyone just stood there without moving. Then, in a blur of motion, a gigantic heap of guitar and drum cases were sitting at the bottom of the stairs, and perched on the top were three panting musicians. "Phew, heh, heh, well we better get moving and load this crap onto the ferry." Brendan said, jumping up.

"Marina and I are already packed, so we're gonna meet you on board. K? Bye!" May said rushing of, and joining Marina in the taxi, which sped away in a clod of dust. Which is odd, for an asphalt road. Kenta had just made it to the top step, and peered around the area.

"How are we supposed to get there?" He wondered out loud. The other two looked up, and all three of them let out a loud groan.

"Great, now we get to walk. And it's so hot out!" Brendan complained. Then, out of nowhere, he was hit by a cold jet of water right in the face, and managed to sputter a "What the?" before a loud cry of "Come back Muddy! I mean now you stupid Mudkip!" cut through his sentence, and a girl on a skateboard came rolling up the Pokemon Center's walk.

"Muddy, come back here. Uggh, I ripped _another_ hole in my jeans after you jumped off the board! … Oh! I'm sorry, did he spray you? I'm so sorry, he heard some kind of music a while ago, and broke out of his pokeball and I chased him here." The girl hurriedly apologized.

"Oh that's all right, it's actually refreshing." Brendan said as he wrung out his headband. He turned to look at their visitor. She was about as tall as May, had long blond hair, and had on a tight black tee shirt and ripped jeans. She was obviously punk, which was a plus in Brendan's book. .

"Hey, my name's Nicole." She took Brendan's hand and shook it. "Oooo! Aren't you that band playing in the Sevii Tour? Tinted Glass! I love you guys! Your awesome-**o**!" Nicole said excitedly.

"Yeah, and we're about to miss said tour if we don't get our gear to the ferry dock now!" Silver cut in.

"Oh… Hey, you wanna use my board? Just pile your stuff on top!" Nicole suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Kenta said and he immediately dropped the whole load on top. "If it doesn't snap from the weight…" Nicole trailed off.

"Lets hurry it up peeps!" Kenta said. So the four teens hurriedly piled the rest of the stuff on the skateboard, then began frantically pushing it down the street.

"Hey, if we make the ferry, could you guys play a song for me since you're using my board?" Nicole asked hopefully.

"Sure, why not?" Brendan said. "But lets get there first!"

(30 minutes later, after many episodes of repacking a capsized skateboard and bribing the baggage inspector to let them on without inspecting)

"Man, I think I got a double hernia or something..." Kenta sat down in a deck chair.

"Yeah, that's cool, I'm gonna go find May, then we're gonna practice some more." Brendan said as he walked down the deck.

"I don't want to practice…" Kenta whined.

"Oh shut up."Brendan said.

"Hey, can I come? I want to meet your other friends. I'm sure they're as cool as you are." Nicole got up and followed him.

"Sure! I think May and Marina would love to meet you." Brendan said enthusiastically as he peered down a hall.

"So, are you going out with either of them?" Nicole asked innocently when the got out of earshot.

"What? Err, no, I don't think so. Marina usually glues herself to Kenta's face in her free time, and May… well I'm not going out with either of them, no."

Nicole glanced at Brendan suspiciously, then shook her head and started to help Brendan find his friends.

Meanwhile, Silver had left Kenta and was now wandering around the ship lost in thought. As he rounded a corner, he ran smack into someone, who then dropped all the baggage she was carrying. Silver quickly bent down to help her, when he did a double take and looked up at the stranger.

"Blue?"


End file.
